Going Geometric

Going through my stamps I realized I had never inked up my PTI triangles.  Fun, aren't they?  I'm entering this in Colour Q #234 substituting London Fog for Going Gray (and I totally am--bah!), Cantaloupe for Apricot Appeal, Tide Pool for Coastal Cabana, and Morocco for Calypso Coral.

The Details:  PTI white cardstock and triangle stamps, Pop Tone black cardstock, Kaiser Crafts sentiment, Memento Cantaloupe, Morocco, London Fog and Tuxedo Black, Hero Arts Tide Pool

Check Out That Smile

I'm guest designing over at Crafting by Designs Colours of the Sea Recipe Challenge.  It's a really fun one where you get to choose 3 elements to incorporate into your card.  You should totally check it out and join in the fun!

For my card, I incorporated the elements bubbles, water, sea creatures and sand.  First, I stamped the fish then masked it before airbrushing Copic blue (can't find the marker at the moment--let's assume Frankie the cat has it).  Then I airbrushed the seaweed (SN JG1 and LG4) and background goldfish (SN GB4) using a brass stencil (sponging would have worked but I didn't have the shade of green I wanted).  The sentiment, sand and random bubbles followed with a finishing spritz of the shimmer mist.

The Details:  Spectrum Noir white cardstock, PTI Aqua Mist cardstock, Inkadinkado Cute Fish, WPlus9 Quite Like You sentiment, Spectrum Noir and Copic markers, Stampin' Up sand, Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Sparkle, Memento Tuxedo Black and London Fog

Easter Egg Bunnies

The moment I saw the current Retro-Sketch I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the new bunny dies I picked up on vaca.  PLUS, I got to use a fab designer paper that I love but couldn't figure out how to use such a bold, glittery design.  Faux easter egg bunnies!

The Details:  PTI white cardstock, Pop-Tone Black Licorice cardstock, Paper Studio Uptown Flair 12x12 designer paper, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, Impression Obsession bunny dies

I'm entering this in Crafty Creations #259 Holiday, Retro Sketches #107, Crazy for CAS #40 Inspiration Picture, Simon Says Wednesday Glitter It, Crazy for Challenges #228 Shake Your Thing (Anything Goes)    

Elephant Love

I so love this flat, simple elephant design.  It looks like something a kid would draw.  Things I did:  (1)  The stamp has 4 heart flowers which felt unbalanced so I used my stamp positioner thingie and added the blue heart flower; (2) I hand drew in some grass and the extra heart above joy; (3) I used Scor-Tape along the edges of the green cardstock and pressed glitter into it; and (4) I added the same glitter to the hearts to tie it all together.

The Details:  PTI Spring Moss cardstock and sentiment, Crafter's Companion white cardstock, Spectrum Noir markers, 1/2" Scor-Tape, Doodlebug Design Sugar Coating Lily White glitter, Glossy Accents

I'm entering this in Simon Wednesday Glitter It, Cute Card Thursday #313 It's a Wild World, Simply Create Too #57 Animals, Crafting for All Seasons #73 No Designer Papers, CASology #87 Blush, Stampin for the Weekend Anything Goes, Addicted to Stamps #87 Make Your Mark

Updated to add Penny Black So Sweet

Fun Brilliant You

This bright and colorful card is just what we need around here with the recent gloomy rain storms.  Does it remind you of a color blindness test in a petri dish too?

The Details:  PTI white card stock, Recollections Christmas card stock, Memento Tuxedo Black and Rose Bud, white Enamel Accents, Inkadinkado Thank You Words "You", Heidi Swapp stamps for remaining sentiment, Lifestyle Crafts circle die


I'm entering this in Paper Crafting Journal Photo Inspiration,  Paperminutes #313 Sentiments  

Down on the Farm

I grew up in farm country so how could I not play in the latest Curtain Call Challenge Farm Fresh?  I have to admit this card wasn't doing anything for me until I added the squares to the stamped background.  Bazinga!  Just the right amount of country pop I was looking for. 

The Details:  Mango Antique Vellum cardstock, PTI white cardstock, mystery black cardstock, Jillibean Soup Fresh Vegetable Soup stamps except for the b/w squares which are Hero Arts Tiny Backgrounds, Memento Tuxedo Black, Cantaloupe and Pear Tart, Stazon Jet Black

I'm also entering this in The Paper Players #187 CAS, Totally Gorjuss #227 Thanks and MFT Sketch 167.

Iris-folded Topiary

This card is for my SIL to celebrate the Persian New Year next week on 21 March.  (I rather like the idea of celebrating spring for new year, don't you?)  As back story, my partner has not returned to his native country since he moved here to attend college back in the late 70s (right before the government was overthrown) yet he and his sister speak to each other every couple of weeks like he saw her yesterday.  I have to tell you it was such a tear jerker moment when they saw each other for the first time in 30+ years when she visited a couple of years ago. So this is for you, F.  Thank you for keeping the ancestral home alive for your brother.

The Details:  various papers from my old stash (the thinner the better for the iris folding), used my Cricut to cut out the topiary shape (I think that's from the Folk cartridge), gold Beads in a Bottle for the centers of the small flowers, lots of tape

I'm entering this in The Crafter's Cafe #54 Flowers, Twisted Tuesday #71 Live a Clean, Green Life, Make My Monday Spring, Loves Rubberstamps #94 Shades of Green, Fusion Card Challenge #6 and Casology #86 Roots  

Bright Day

I especially like how the dots in "bright" are echoed by the background dots on this card.  Plus the shine and dimensionality of the sentiment.  Fab!

The Details:  PTI white and dark pinky cardstocks, black cardstock from old stash, Inkadinkado dotty stamp used for the background, Hero Arts Glow Girl, Memento Pear Tart and Rose Bud, Versamark, Hampton Art clear embossing powder

I'm entering this in Addicted to Stamps & More #85 International Women's Day, Crazy 4 Challenges #226 Be Sentimental,

Lucky Stars

This is a fun cleaned and layered card with lots of texture and shine.  I cannot tell you how many variations I tried of this card, only to go back to the original concept.  Go with your gut!

 

The Details:  PTI white cardstock, Hero Arts Operation Write Home stamps (huh, when was the last time I didn't mix and match--weird), Memento Rich Cocoa, Brilliance Gamma Green, VersaMark, Hampton Art clear embossing powder, Paper Studio embossing folder, pop dots, Martha Stewart score board

I'm entering this in Twisted Tuesday #71 Live a Clean, Green Life, The Card Concept #5 Lime Espresso White, Little Tangles #32 Inside of a Card, Loves Rubberstamps #93 Anything Goes, Sisterhood of Crafters One for the Boys, Papertake Weekly Anything Goes   

Embossed/debossed Butterflies

I've had this butterfly embossing folder in my stash for ages.  Heck, had the butterfly dies too.  All gathering dust.  Shame on me!  I intended to use the embossed side on the outside of the card but put it through wrong then decided that I could totally use it anyway.  I love how the card is decorated inside and out.  I used a white pigment pen to give the illusion of lacier smaller butterflies on the front.

I wanted to see what this might look like with colored butterflies using up patterned paper but am rushed for posting time so faked it in Photoshop.  Totally different look, huh?

The Details:  PTI white cardstock and sentiment, scrap black cardstock, Memory Box butterfly dies, Glossy Accents, Darice embossing folder, Memento Tuxedo Black, Sakura Gelly Roll white pen

I'm entering this in The Crafting Cafe CAS, Jellypark Things with Wings, Little Tangles #32 Inside of a Card, Simply Create Too #56 Shop in Your Stash, Paperminutes #311 Black/White     

Two Rainbows and Sunshine

I'm still into the sponging--I think because I don't have to be precise and am expected to get ink on my fingers!

On the first card I randomly cut some scallops into scrap paper then used that as a mask, moving it from section to section to create the cloud bank.  I used my finger to create beams of sunlight breaking through the clouds; the sun is on the inside of the card.  Random scraps make up the rainbow.  I used embossing powder on the sentiment so it would be glossy--think glistening with rain.  Not as glossy as I expected but it does pop out.  So, I ended up with a lot of rainbow parts so tried another look.  The resulting card is more cutesy and whimsical.

The Details:  PTI white cardstock, cloud/sun die and sentiment; cardstock scraps for the rainbow, MFT rainbow & cloud die, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Memento Tuxedo Black, London Fog, Dandelion, Brilliance Graphite Black, Hampton Art clear embossing powder

I'm entering Card 1 in:  Just Add Ink Add a Sunburst, Keep It Simple #35 Stripes  
I'm entering Card 2 in:  Papertake Weekly Anything Goes

Happy Thoughts Inside

 

I'm back but will be hit or miss the next few weeks--have some home remodeling in the works.  Dust in my hair, ink on my fingers--it's all good.

With this card I:

• Offset the frame dies for interest
• Free-formed the flower--just gathered and stitched as I went along with the sewing machine-- then coiled some copper beaded wire from my jewelry-making stash for the center
• Heated some of the stray embossing powder before noticing  then added more because I loved the effect
• Originally used a decorative stitch on the scalloped border--too busy--then put another piece over it and straight-stitched.

The Details:  PTI kraft cardstock and sentiment, Brilliance Graphite Black, Stampendous black embossing powder, mystery designer papers, MME Hello Brad, Spellbinders border and frame dies, Robin's Nest Dewdrops, BoBunny doily, Glossy Accents

I'm entering this in:  Totally Papercrafts #208 Make it Shine,  Simply Create Too #56 Shop in Your Stash, Daring Cardmakers Sentimental, Let's Craft & Create #89 Embossing, Card Makin' Mamas CMM81 Stack It Up, As You Like It Favorite 3D Texture & Why, Papertake Weekly Anything Goes, Shopping Our Stash #141 3-2-1 (3 dewdrops, 2 Spellbinder frame dies, doily), Sentimental Sundays #196 Sketch  and Dream Valley #76 Vintage